By The Chancellor has announced a new scheme that offers diners 50% off meals in August.
To ‘help get the economy moving’ and to specifically assist the UK’s hospitality businesses, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced an ‘eat out to help out’ scheme in which diners receive half-price meals in pubs, restaurants or cafes during August.
Mr. Sunak has explained,
“This moment is unique, we need to be creative. To get customers back into restaurants, cafes and pubs and protect the 1.8 million people who work in them, I can announce today that for the month of August we will give everyone in the country an “eat out to help out” discount.”
The Chancellor further explained that between Mondays and Wednesdays in August (inclusive), diners at participating restaurants will be liable to receive 50 per cent off any meal, up to £10 per head. The offer also includes children’s meals, so a family of four can save up to £40 when dining out.
Restaurants who register for the scheme before August will be ‘refunded’ the cost of the discount they pass onto their customers. For businesses struggling with cashflow, the Chancellor also promised businesses that those funds would be returned to them within 5 working days.
The scheme is reported to be costing the Government £500million, which, at £10 pound per meal, per person – works out to be 50million meals.
This number has intentionally been estimated to consider high engagement with the scheme, although a Treasury official has admitted: “That is an estimate – let’s see.” This is because officials do not know what will be the appetite for the scheme.
The scheme is set to commence on Monday August 3 and will run until Monday August 31, meaning there will be 13 days available to use the offer.
The discount can be used ‘unlimited times’ on eligible days but will not be valid for the purchase of alcoholic beverages. As there is currently no limit set to the number of times one can use the discount, it would appear that it can be used by the same person, each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, each week.
Companies who wish to be a part of the scheme can start to register on the Government’s website from this coming Monday, July 13.
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